tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080132098367510832.post6725062451594972405..comments2015-03-03T08:04:44.731-05:00Comments on The Daly Planet: TV Partners Strangely Quiet Where Grant Is Concerned - UNTIL NOWDaly Planet Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13834588435004023666noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080132098367510832.post-64407156295918245052008-07-06T18:22:00.000-04:002008-07-06T18:22:00.000-04:00Surprisingly, Mike Muhlhern wrote a quite positive...Surprisingly, Mike Muhlhern wrote a quite positive response to Brian France's meeting with the press in Daytona.<BR/><BR/>It appears to me that the handling of the so-called Brett Favre "story" demonstrates that there is no longer any institutional emphasis on journalistic credibility at ESPN. I watched a 25 to 40 minutes episode of NFL Live the other night that included Al Harris and covered virtually nothing but the Favre "story" - without once mentioning Favre's e-mail or text message to his hometown paper saying the "story" was "all rumors." In my view, ESPN is more interested in keeping the Favre story alive, than reporting it accurately. I have yet to hear anyone on ESPN mention trying to contact Favre.<BR/><BR/>Thus, I am not sure one can expect much credible, well-done reporting of the Grant-NASCAR suit - except for a very small handful of ESPN reporters, such as Ryan McGee, Marty Smith, and Angelique Chengalis.Richard in N.C.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080132098367510832.post-4209327293344967722008-07-05T14:28:00.000-04:002008-07-05T14:28:00.000-04:00Nascar Now at midnight on the Fourth of July - wha...Nascar Now at midnight on the Fourth of July - what a time to choose to run some of ESPN's interview with Ms. Grant. Bury the story in a time slot when everyone will be coming home from festivities and putting the kids to bed. Oh yeah, good tactic to bury the story and still say you reported it.<BR/><BR/>Shame on NN.Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14361101058670921686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080132098367510832.post-31289589339785891672008-07-04T11:53:00.000-04:002008-07-04T11:53:00.000-04:00Anonymous said... Nobody cares about this, you are...Anonymous said... <BR/>Nobody cares about this, you are making a mountain out of a molehill.<BR/><BR/>July 3, 2008 9:20 PM <BR/><BR/><BR/>Please Do NOT attempt to speak for others, others DO care. I care & so do many others who love the sport.Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00324508747645561589noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080132098367510832.post-88085134362143265762008-07-04T08:05:00.000-04:002008-07-04T08:05:00.000-04:00Nobody cares about this, you are making a mountain...<B>Nobody cares about this, you are making a mountain out of a molehill.</B><BR/><BR/>No, YOU don't care about this. <BR/><BR/>It is clear from the posts on this thread (and others) that many people do care about it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080132098367510832.post-6805861742497972632008-07-03T23:47:00.000-04:002008-07-03T23:47:00.000-04:00NASCAR needs to diffuse this situation pronto. Th...NASCAR needs to diffuse this situation pronto. <BR/> <BR/>They need to take a page out of Tim Allen's book and come clean before the media gets them. He had a cocaine conviction years before Home Improvement aired. He fessed up before the tabloids ran the story and obviously came out pretty good. <BR/><BR/>All NASCAR has to do is confess, promise to conduct garage area sensitivity training, update the employee hand book and move on.<BR/><BR/>I think it's better to wipe cr*p on yourself than for others to do it to you.Dothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15701502016993312530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080132098367510832.post-90428982097601269722008-07-03T23:00:00.000-04:002008-07-03T23:00:00.000-04:00I've never heard of Athlon Sports ... But, Matt M...I've never heard of Athlon Sports ... But, Matt McLaughlin's use of profanity in his column lost him any & all credibility that he might've had ...<BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/>Why hasn't anyone asked where the main players are that usually show up when lawsuits like this float to the surface?? People like Gloria Allred, Jesse Jackson & Al Sharpton ... They're awfully quiet on this lawsuit ...<BR/><BR/><BR/>The interviews that Ms Grant & her lawyer are giving are tainting the possible jury pool ... <BR/><BR/>Her lawyer already had a run-in with one high profile tv personality at Fox News ... sister network to SPEED ...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080132098367510832.post-75059826341626822542008-07-03T21:24:00.000-04:002008-07-03T21:24:00.000-04:00anon 9:20: please refrain from speaking for me as ...anon 9:20: please refrain from speaking for me as i certainly DO care and this is a serious and ongoing issue in the american workplace, not just nascar. i would prefer you speak for yourself and not the elusive "nobody."<BR/><BR/>richard in n.c. said...<BR/>Ms. Grant's claims are still unsubstantiated - as are Brian France's claims that Ms. Grant never filed or made a complaint.<BR/><BR/>great point and one worth keeping in mind as this progresses!<BR/><BR/>as this blog is focused on the media aspect of any story, i'm going to try and keep focused on that and not on the particulars of the lawsuit. so i have a few questions that the media could start asking on my behalf.<BR/>1. what, exactly, is nascar's policy on harassment? what documentation exists that would explicitly outline nascar's policy and procedures? mr france talks about "the policy" so may i assume that there is, in fact, a written P&P that can be produced? or is it more along the lines of the drug abuse policy of reacting only when there is probable cause?<BR/>2. what training does nascar provide to all employees about harassment? how often is it updated?<BR/>3. what communication has nascar provided to all its employees that expresses a zero tolerance for harassment behaviors and outlines specific consequences?<BR/><BR/>if nascar cannot easily produce such documentation, then i have to question how serious the committment is to addressing harassment in the organization. the company i worked for as a general manager could have immediately produced all of the above across any one of the stores as well as in the warehouses and at the corporate office level. <BR/><BR/>my position is that reporters have NOT done enough to try and establish background and context in this and in the drug abuse discussion. they have, as a group, failed to do much more than give the barest outline of the lawsuit and essentially read the provided press releases. i understand that nascar is not likely to have a whole lot to say right now but that should NOT stop the reporters from doing the job. set these allegations in context; research and explain harassment law as it currently exists in the workplace; explain what the terms mean -- and don't mean. try to put this into historical perspective, drawing examples from other sports as needed. <BR/><BR/>i'm not asking for reporters to crucify either party in this lawsuit. i am asking them to do a thorough job of putting this lawsuit into some sort of perspective and that can most certainly be done without having to pick and choose particulars from the lawsuit. this the sort of reporting that could be done without being seen as taking sides or putting either party on the spot. it is educational reporting and sadly, i see no sign of it.rednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080132098367510832.post-10615284251537408592008-07-03T21:20:00.000-04:002008-07-03T21:20:00.000-04:00Nobody cares about this, you are making a mountain...Nobody cares about this, you are making a mountain out of a molehill.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080132098367510832.post-83821054014669269342008-07-03T20:08:00.000-04:002008-07-03T20:08:00.000-04:00Re: Richard in NC @ 7:10 PM - You said "...Brian F...Re: Richard in NC @ 7:10 PM - <BR/>You said "...Brian France may not come across as the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he would have to be really dumb to begin a highly publicized drive for diversity in the sport and at the same time knowingly tolerate a racially hostile work environment....". <BR/><BR/>Just keep in mind the new operative acronym NNiC! I guess we would pronounce that n-nic, ("nuhnic")? Yes, he could be really stupid about this, and several other things as well. Take a look at some of the past writing by some very respected journalists. Okay, maybe not respected by NASCAR, and the "Beach Bozos", but certainly respected by many long time readers, viewers, and fans. <BR/><BR/>I believe that there is a major struggle going on at W.International Speed Blvd. between the people that NASCAR pays to get them out of trouble, and the above mentioned Beach Bozos. And apparently the Bozos are prevailing.Rockin Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16401306989231204937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080132098367510832.post-29764966870126300782008-07-03T19:10:00.000-04:002008-07-03T19:10:00.000-04:00red, you are correct. I should have been clearer. ...red, you are correct. I should have been clearer. It seems to me, in a non-technical conversation, that the reference to "court document" carries the inference that it is something from the court- rather than just a document filed with the court. Despite having been reduced to a legal document, Ms. Grant's claims are still unsubstantiated - as are Brian France's claims that Ms. Grant never filed or made a complaint.<BR/><BR/>I understood Brian France's position to be that NASCAR did have a policy against harassment and a procedure for reporting complaints, which Ms. Grant did not use - and that NASCAR was launching an internal investigation to determine the facts, which investigation apparently has not been completed yet.<BR/><BR/>I do find it curious that I have not seen any mention in the press of NASCAR's drive for diversity in connection with Ms. Grant's suit. Brian France may not come across as the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he would have to be really dumb to begin a highly publicized drive for diversity in the sport and at the same time knowingly tolerate a racially hostile work environment. It would seem to only make sense to make sure to have policies, procedures, and training in effect to guard against their being a hostile work environment when launching a drive for diversity - now whether such worked as intended or not is another matter.Richard in N.C.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080132098367510832.post-66066925034880847402008-07-03T17:51:00.000-04:002008-07-03T17:51:00.000-04:00Look at it from NASCAR's point of view. The media ...Look at it from NASCAR's point of view. The media is basically just stirring the pot trying to make a good story. NASCAR has the right to keep quiet until the actual court case begins. If ms. Grant wants to go on TV and get interviewed about the case, so be it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080132098367510832.post-74625589589165481402008-07-03T17:49:00.000-04:002008-07-03T17:49:00.000-04:00There was just a story on ESPN and they read the N...There was just a story on ESPN and they read the Nascar response about not trying the case in the media, but in court.<BR/><BR/>They sound like a little kid with their hands over their ears going, "la, la, la, I don't want to hear you".Dianenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080132098367510832.post-69819563714672023872008-07-03T17:48:00.000-04:002008-07-03T17:48:00.000-04:00Not familiar with the site and will try and find t...Not familiar with the site and will try and find the Dilner link.<BR/><BR/>WOW~~They are showing Grant inteviewed on ESPN2 practice!!<BR/><BR/>It's nice to see her face and voice in context. <BR/><BR/>NASCAR's written response Punch just read is a joke imo. They have a "zero" tolerance for this behavior??SophiaZ123http://www.blogger.com/profile/07789033556426951026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080132098367510832.post-45372526013355238312008-07-03T17:29:00.000-04:002008-07-03T17:29:00.000-04:00The Bob Dilner audio is available at the radio sho...The Bob Dilner audio is available at the radio show's site. The radio show is called Carey and Coffey and they also interviewed several other people from NASCAR at Loudon.<BR/><BR/>Interesting that the tones of the Wendy Venturini interview and Bob Dilner interview in the audio archives for this program are completely different. Wendy is very casual and cheery yet professional as always, but the Dilner interview starts with the "male bonding" comments (about Country Music Television/CMT, of all things) that caused some stir. Dilner doesn't sound bad, just immature. Basically shows you who the professional is (Wendy V) on SPEED.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080132098367510832.post-44467902919633462902008-07-03T16:59:00.000-04:002008-07-03T16:59:00.000-04:00J. D.,If you have any contacts inside the NASCAR p...<B>J. D.,<BR/><BR/>If you have any contacts inside the NASCAR press office, they would know if "CBS 60 Minutes," "Oprah," "HBO's Real Sports," or some other media outlet not otherwise associated with NASCAR were investigating, as they would have to apply for credentials. </B><BR/>*****************<BR/>Not necessarily. Jade Gurss, Dale Jr's excellent publicist while he was with Bud, recently again told the story about a crew from an MTV series doing a story on Dale Jr (years ago) who was denied a NASCAR credential at Talledega. From Jade's blog:<BR/><BR/><B>-- The True Life back story: A video crew had followed Dale Jr. for several weeks, but when NASCAR/I.S.C. refused to grant media credentials or an infield parking pass for the fall race at Talladega, it raised a red flag. Negotiations ensued, and the MTV crew were offered credentials only if they did not shoot footage in the infield. As any good journalist would do, the producer said "no thanks." They purchased a standard RV parking pass, bought infield passes just as any other fan and went to see what NASCAR was scared they'd find. Suddenly and sadly, a show focusing on Dale Jr. had a new, unexpected storyline: racism in NASCAR.</B><BR/><BR/>If NASCAR has that kind of reactionary thinking when dealing with the media on this lawsuit, IMO they're going to be in trouble because those folks will do exactly what the True Life people did - go around them and find out exactly what NASCAR doesn't want them to see.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080132098367510832.post-11974400304362443282008-07-03T16:37:00.000-04:002008-07-03T16:37:00.000-04:00OMG! I loved the "Sonny Drysdale" reference to Bri...OMG! I loved the "Sonny Drysdale" reference to Brian France, LOL.<BR/><BR/>So very sad but true.<BR/><BR/>I also believe silence can sometimes speak more volumes then words.<BR/><BR/>I missed whatever Dilner said.SophiaZ123http://www.blogger.com/profile/07789033556426951026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080132098367510832.post-15995446758966898702008-07-03T16:26:00.000-04:002008-07-03T16:26:00.000-04:00"If you don't think the media if presented with su..."If you don't think the media if presented with such would not report it, you're fooling yourselves."<BR/><BR/>It appears to me that the prior posters are wondering why there hasn't been some serious digging into this story. The attitude of "if it lands in my lap, well, okay, I guess I'll report it," sounds like laisssez faire until there's a fire burning up your pants leg.<BR/><BR/>Those of us who've experienced some form of workplace discrimination know there's usually another, sometimes uglier, sometimes not, story there. What is the real story in the Mauricia Grant case? Why doesn't the Nascar media want to dig it up?<BR/><BR/>And yes, court documents include the original pleadings.Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14361101058670921686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080132098367510832.post-52675626798889579402008-07-03T16:23:00.000-04:002008-07-03T16:23:00.000-04:00J. D.,If you have any contacts inside the NASCAR p...J. D.,<BR/><BR/>If you have any contacts inside the NASCAR press office, they would know if "CBS 60 Minutes," "Oprah," "HBO's Real Sports," or some other media outlet not otherwise associated with NASCAR were investigating, as they would have to apply for credentials. Since Daytona is so high-profile, I would think they would be at this race, or at Charlotte a month ago. I would think if they were at Charlotte the word would have come out. These are the dog days for hard news (except for the presidential race) so it would be a good time to go after a Pulitzer.<BR/><BR/>Kenny<BR/>Alameda, CaliforniaKenn Fonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00381315903467639353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080132098367510832.post-67458278920201146332008-07-03T16:19:00.000-04:002008-07-03T16:19:00.000-04:00Sometimes David Poole signs in as Anonymous even o...Sometimes David Poole signs in as Anonymous even on his own blog comments but says up front that it's him. Something about not always being able to sign in as himself to the system when he's traveling...so it could be him.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080132098367510832.post-56635712654601932792008-07-03T16:15:00.000-04:002008-07-03T16:15:00.000-04:00Ms. Grant was just interviewed on ESPN NEWS Hotlis...Ms. Grant was just interviewed on ESPN NEWS Hotlist. About 3 mins. where she described her side of the story. The name calling including the n word & the towel drop incident in the hotel lobby.<BR/><BR/>ESPN said David Dukes was fired earlier this year for actions deterimental to NASCAR not related to this lawsuit. The other 2 officials remain on paid leave, NASCAR declined to be interviewed for the story.Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00324508747645561589noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080132098367510832.post-28679718781533255342008-07-03T16:09:00.000-04:002008-07-03T16:09:00.000-04:00Bottom line: It's all he said, she said right now ...Bottom line: It's all he said, she said right now unless someone comes forward with independent verification. The media is under to obligation to report back and forth accusations without independent, 3rd party sourcing. If you don't think the media if presented with such would not report it, you're fooling yourselves.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080132098367510832.post-62383652703938426162008-07-03T15:29:00.000-04:002008-07-03T15:29:00.000-04:00Great comments. If anyone needs to review the exis...Great comments. If anyone needs to review the existing big stories on this topic, the links are provided in the main column.<BR/><BR/>JDDaly Planet Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13834588435004023666noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080132098367510832.post-92143901759319633542008-07-03T14:42:00.000-04:002008-07-03T14:42:00.000-04:00richard in nc: the lawsuit is (like all lawsuits) ...richard in nc: the lawsuit is (like all lawsuits) a court filing and is, in fact, a court document. when i refer to the court document, it is the filing to which i refer. and "unsubstantiated claims"? well, that's the nature of the beast: the plaintiff files the lawsuit in as a legal document and then the case goes to mediation, settlement or trial.<BR/><BR/>as for mr france's statements that he was unaware of her complaints: as a general mgr in a retail setting, i accepted that it was part of my responsibility to make certain i did not permit an environment to exist where harassment of any kind could occur. my company held me responsible for that and ultimately the way i protected myself from such problems was to have a zero tolerance for it in my store. that's why i was paid more than the rest of my staff: to have total oversight of my entire store and to be certain my company's standard of zero tolerance was communicated, understood, reviewed yearly and enforced. that is the job of the leader of the store, the company and the sport. surely i should not be held to a more stringent standard than brian france?<BR/><BR/><BR/>anon 12:34: EXCELLENT point about ms. grant and her experiences at irwindale and how that is contrasted by her experiences in nascar at the n'wide level. thank you for reminding us of that. and i second that folks should make the time to plow thru the filing in total before repeating factual errors about the case. that's just being an intelligent fan.<BR/><BR/>and i also agree with the various posters here who have suggested a whole series of questions that could, at the very least, add depth and background to this story. these are questions that a reporter should be digging into but, sadly, it doesn't appear as if anyone is doing that. <BR/><BR/>as for dilner: i only read the comments on question, did not hear them in context. as pointed out in the column about the jack daniels post-race fiasco, context and tone sometimes convey a far different meaning than the words. that being said: at the very least, dilner should be more media saavy than to have even uttered those words. he sacrifices some level of personal "speaking off the cuff" as a trade-off for his position in the sport's media ranks. yes, i understand the first amendment and i even carry a pocket copy of the constitution with me at all times so i don't need that particular lecture! my point is that he is a voice of the sport, like it or not, and as such, he has additional responsibilities to be careful about the words he chooses when speaking in public, words that are already reverberating around the internet. at the very least, he jeopardizies his standing as an unbiased reporter. <BR/><BR/>of course, some will say there was no problem with what he said. i disagree and believe that sort of "good old boys" attitude that makes saying those sorts of things in public and expecting them to be permitted a pass is what brought our sport to this hot mess with the grant lawsuit! <BR/><BR/>i'm willing to review my position once i hear for myself the actual segment of that program so if there's a link out there, i'd appreciate it!rednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080132098367510832.post-43368481555363748032008-07-03T14:33:00.000-04:002008-07-03T14:33:00.000-04:00Anonymous at 12:34 said. Rockin Rich, David Pool...Anonymous at 12:34 said.<BR/><BR/> Rockin Rich, David Poole has posted on TDP a few times before. Not often, but a few times. I have a feeling it's him.<BR/><BR/><BR/>The posts I've seen have him signed in as David Poole, not some anonymous poster. Maybe he'll read this and set the record straight.Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03138762423112575914noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080132098367510832.post-7001289278331427292008-07-03T14:24:00.000-04:002008-07-03T14:24:00.000-04:00To my knowledge at this point there is no "court d...To my knowledge at this point there is no "court document" - there is only Ms. Grant's so-far, unsubstantiated claims. My understanding is that Brian France said NASCAR was unaware of Ms. Grant's complaints until her lawsuit was filed and that, as a result, NASCAR was commencing a full internal investigation. It seems to me that at this point there is no basis to give any more credence to one side than to the other. NASCAR will have to defend itself in court and surely does not want to prejudice its case by making hasty comments it cannot back up.<BR/><BR/>As to David Poole, who is one of my favorite NASCAR writers (and often makes me so mad I could spit), I have complete confidence that he has virtually no fear of criticizing NASCAR.Richard in N.C.noreply@blogger.com